Arrangement for remote control of repeater stations

Abstract

A control arrangement for a radio communication system in which mobile users communicate with one another and with a central dispatcher via repeaters. In a first embodiment, the repeater station providing the best quality received signal from a mobile station is caused to re-transmit that signal without the signal traversing lengthy telephone lines to and from a central station. A second embodiment, a repeater station having a local and plural satellite receivers selects the best quality signal among those received by its local receiver and its satellites for re-transmission.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. In a radio communication system for providing communication among mobile stations and between a central station and at least one mobile station, said system having multiple repeater stations each having a transmitter and a receiver providing detected signals from said mobile stations, and said system having at least one voter for selecting one of the detected signals in accordance with predetermined criteria and identifying the repeater station providing the selected signal, the improvement comprising: remote means for causing the repeater station so identified by said voter to transmit the selected signal without the selected signal being coupled through said voter, thereby minimizing signal degradation; and   means for alternatively causing the repeater station so identified to transmit a signal originated by the central station.   
     
     
       2. A radio communications system improvement according to claim 1 wherein the detected signals are audio signals. 
     
     
       3. A radio communication system improvement according to either of claims 1 or 2 wherein said means for causing the identified repeater to transmit comprises: means for generating a keying signal;   means, responsive to said means for selecting and identifying, for coupling the keying signal to the identified repeater station; and   means, responsive to the keying signal, for coupling the detected audio from the receiver associated with the identified repeater to the transmitter in the repeater.   
     
     
       4. In a radio communication system having multiple repeater stations for providing communication among mobile or portable radio stations and between mobile or portable radio stations and a central radio station, wherein each repeater includes a transmitter and a receiver, the improvement comprising: means within each repeater receiver for detecting a mobile or portable originated signal;   means, coupled to each of said means for detecting, for selecting one of the detected signals and identifying the repeater station providing the selected signal; and   means, coupled to said means for selecting, for causing the identified repeater station to transmit via its transmitter the selected signal without the selected signal being coupled through said means for selecting, thereby minimizing signal degradation.   
     
     
       5. A radio communication system improvement according to claim 4 wherein the detected signal, originated by a mobile or portable station, is an audio signal. 
     
     
       6. A radio communication system improvement according to either of claims 4 or 5 further comprising: a central radio station for generating a dispatcher-originated signal; and   means for coupling the dispatcher-originated signal to a repeater transmitter.   
     
     
       7. A radio communication system improvement according to claim 6 wherein said means for coupling the dispatcher-originated signal includes means for coupling the dispatcher-originated signal to the transmitter in the repeater providing the selected signal. 
     
     
       8. In a radio communication system having a repeater station including a transmitter, a co-located receiver, and at least one additional remote receiver, each of the receivers providing a detected signal originated by a mobile or portable radio station, the improvement comprising: first means for comparing all of the detected signals and first selecting one such signal from among them;   second means for comparing the audio signal from said co-located receiver with said selected signal and second selecting between them; and   means for causing said transmitter to transmit said second selected signal.   
     
     
       9. A radio communication system improvement according to claim 8 wherein said detected signals are audio signals. 
     
     
       10. A radio communication system improvement according to either of claims 8 or 9 wherein said first means is a voter. 
     
     
       11. A radio communication system improvement according to either of claims 8 or 9 wherein said second means is a voter. 
     
     
       12. A radio communication system improvement according to claim 10 wherein said second means is a voter. 
     
     
       13. A radio repeater arrangement for providing communication among mobile or portable radio stations and between such mobile or portable stations and a central radio station comprising: first and second remote repeater stations each repeater station having a receiver for receiving and detecting a signal originated by a mobile or portable station and providing a detected signal, each of said remote repeater stations further including a repeater transmitter for transmitting a dispatcher-originated signal or for re-transmitting a signal detected by its associated receiver;   a voter, coupled to each receiver, for selecting a particular signal from among all such signals coupled thereto, for providing the selected signal, for generating a selection signal uniquely identifying the remote station associated with the selected signal, and for providing a keying control signal whenever any mobile or portable originated signal is coupled thereto;   a remote keying unit (RKU) coupled to the keying control signal and for generating in response thereto a repeater control signal for controlling the operating mode of a remote repeater station;   a transmitter selection unit (TSU) responsive to the selection signal from said voter for selectively dispatching a repeater control signal from said RKU to the remote station associated with the receiver providing the selected signal; and   control means within each remote station responsive to the RKU originated repeater control signal for coupling the output of its associated receiver to a signal input of its associated transmitter thereby causing the transmitter to retransmit the received audio signal therefrom.   
     
     
       14. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 13 wherein said detected signal is an audio signal. 
     
     
       15. A radio repeater arrangement according to either of claims 13 or 14 further including: a console for generating a dispatcher-originated signal and a console originated repeater control signal for controlling the operating mode of a remote repeater station;   means for coupling the dispatcher-originated signal to said TSU whereby a dispatcher-originated signal and console originated repeater control signal can be coupled to a remote repeater station identified by the selection signal from said voter; and   wherein said control means within each remote station includes means responsive to the console originated repeater control signal for coupling the input of the transmitter to the dispatcher-originated signal for transmission to a mobile or portable unit.   
     
     
       16. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 15 wherein the dispatcher-originated signal includes an audio signal. 
     
     
       17. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 13 wherein the repeater control signals include at least one tone. 
     
     
       18. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 15 wherein the repeater control signals include at least one tone. 
     
     
       19. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 13 wherein the repeater control signals include a sequence of tones. 
     
     
       20. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 15 wherein the repeater control signals include a sequence of tones. 
     
     
       21. A radio repeater arrangement providing communication among mobile or portable radio stations and between such mobile or portable stations and a central station comprising: first and second repeater stations each having a receiver for receiving and demodulating a signal transmitted by a mobile or portable station, at least one of which repeater stations includes a transmitter for transmitting a radio signal modulated by dispatcher originated audio, or for retransmitting the information of a signal received by a receiver;   a voter, coupled to each receiver for selecting a particular one of said received signals from among all such signals coupled thereto, for generating a selection signal uniquely identifying the repeater station associated with the selected signal, and for providing a keying control signal whenever any detected audio signal is coupled thereto;   a remote keying unit (RKU), coupled to the voter so as to receive the keying control signal and the selected signal, said RKU for generating a composite signal including an RKU originated repeater control signal for controlling the operating mode of said at least one remote repeater station and also including the received signal selected by said voter;   a transmitter selection unit (TSU) responsive to the selection signal from said voter for selectively dispatching the composite signal from said RKU to the remote station associated with the received signal selected by said voter; and   control means within each remote station responsive to the RKU originated mode control signal within the composite signal for coupling the received signal, selected by said voter, directly from the receiver associated therewith to a signal input of the transmitter thereby causing the transmitter to transmit the selected signal.   
     
     
       22. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 21 wherein said at least one repeater station including a transmitter further comprises: a second voter having signal inputs coupled to both the receiver associated therewith and to said TSU for selecting either of the signals coupled thereto to said transmitter.   
     
     
       23. A radio repeater arrangement according to either of claims 21 or 22 wherein the detected signals coupled to the voter are audio signals. 
     
     
       24. A radio repeater arrangement according to either of claims 21 or 22 wherein the mode control signals include at least one tone. 
     
     
       25. A radio repeater arrangement according to either of claims 21 or 22 wherein the mode control signals include a sequence of tones. 
     
     
       26. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 21 further including: a console for generating a dispatcher originated audio signal and a console originated mode control signal for controlling the operating mode of a remote repeater station;   means for coupling the dispatcher-originated audio signal to said TSU whereby a dispatcher-originated audio signal and console originated mode control signal can be coupled to a remote repeater station identified by the selection signal; and   wherein said control means within each remote station includes means responsive to the console originated mode control signal for coupling the input of the transmitter to the dispatcher-originated audio signal for transmission to a mobile or portable unit.   
     
     
       27. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 26 wherein the operating modes of a remote repeater station include a first mode wherein its transmitter is operating and a second mode wherein its receiver is muted so that no detected audio signal is coupled to said voter. 
     
     
       28. A radio repeater arrangement according to either of claims 26 or 27 wherein the mode control signals include at least one tone. 
     
     
       29. A radio repeater arrangement according to either of claims 26 or 27 wherein the mode control signals include a sequence of tones. 
     
     
       30. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 22 further including: a console for generating a dispatcher-originated audio signal and a console originated mode control signal for controlling the operating mode of a remote repeater station;   means for coupling the dispatcher-originated audio signal to said TSU whereby a dispatcher-originated audio signal and console originated mode control signal can be coupled to a remote repeater station identified by the selection signal; and   wherein said control means within each remote station includes means responsive to the console originated mode control signal for coupling the input of the transmitter to the dispatcher originated audio signal for transmission to a mobile or portable unit.   
     
     
       31. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 30 wherein the mode control signal includes at least one tone. 
     
     
       32. A radio repeater arrangement according to claim 30 wherein the mode control signals includes a sequence of tones.